


Blood and Bones

by LaFayVerte



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Greek Mythology, F/M, Other, Ruby is Persephone, Ruby is referred to as Summer here, Warnings apply for all fun Greek mythology stuff, Whitley is Hades, Whitrose, Wild Rose, but she's still Ruby
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-06-08 11:34:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15242499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaFayVerte/pseuds/LaFayVerte
Summary: ''Lord Hades flashes her a smile that sends a shiver down her body as he gently caresses her frozen face ‘But I suppose it wouldn’t matter to you either way’ he pecks her cheek ‘these rules don’t apply to my bride after all’.''Wild Rose Greek mythology!AU where Ruby is the spring goddess Persephone and Whitley is her abductor Hades, the lord of the underworld.





	1. The Beginning

On the island of Patch where the God of harvest had lives with his daughter, there are four cardinal rules to follow.

One. _My darling, don’t ever leave the island._

This rule wasn’t as important when she was younger. But as she grew older and her body started to change, somehow her father’s leniency changed with it. His desire to keep her close and his fear from the violence of potential suitors had turned what was once constant visits to Olympus, at the time of the great Titan war, into a distant memory that she could barely remember.

Two. _My darling, don’t ever stray from our side._

Because _apparently_ she needed protection from every little thing. When her father wasn’t around, She had to follow Yang even when the goddess of the hunt was bestowing blessings upon her followers, who call her Artemis and leave their offerings from the island’s shrines. No one ever left any offerings for her, as if she was a lowly nymph and not a deity in her own right.

Three. _My darling, only grow the flowers that I taught you to grow._

Her flowers shouldn’t have thorns. They shouldn’t have ugly colors that remind people of death and misery. No reds or blacks or greys were allowed. Personally she loved all these colors, especially bright red. But the way her father had always scrunched his nose at them in distaste had shut down any chance of debate long before it even began. She knows that Taiyang was the great father of everything _useful_ that shoots from the earth, and that he would always know better in these things.

But even so, sometimes...

Four. _My darling, always remember who you are. Your names are Summer and Kore, and you are above all my daughter._

Sometimes, Summer can hear mother Gaia sing to her.

Sometimes, when she presses her ear to the earth or when she digs her fingers into the dirt and urges the seeds to bloom. Summer would close her eyes and watch a familiar kaleidoscope of colors dance under her eyelids as a woman’s voice, sweet and soft, whispered from below.

 _Ruby._ It would beckon. _Persephone._

But before she could reach back, her father would gently take her hand, or her sister would tap on her head with an easy smile and tease her about being distracted and letting red seep into her flowers.

 _Summer_ . They would coax. _Kore_.

They would take her somewhere else and keep her busy until she was exhausted, too drained to remember anything but the four pillars of her life.

Don’t leave the island. Don’t stray from us. Grow what you’ve been taught. Never forget who you are, Summer.

Don’t leave. Don’t stray. Grow what you’ve been taught. Never forget, Summer.

Don’t. Grow.

Forget, Summer.

* * *

 

It all starts on a completely unremarkable day. One moment, she is soaking her tired feet in the river, listening to Yang babble about her latest hunt. The next thing she knows, something slithers around her ankle and _wrenches_ her downwards so violently that she hears a _pop_ from her hip. Summer can barely scream for help before the water rushes past her head, purging the air out of her lungs before she can even think about closing her mouth.

 _‘Ruby_ !’ The sing-song voice marshals from below ‘ _Fight it with everything you've got!_ ’

She tries to kick herself free with her other leg, but it’s like trying to drag a leviathan by a string. If anything her resistance makes the creature angry, and pain lances through her leg as its sinewy muscles tightens around her ankle. Summer’s heart burns in her chest and her vision darkens as she tries to think of something, _anything_ to save herself. Suddenly, a familiar warmth wraps itself around her as two angry red dots shimmer through the blackness. _Yang._

 _No, not Yang._ This is her sister in her full glory, it is the goddess Artemis, angry and vengeful and _blazing_.

Summer feels the searing heat clawing at her leg as the _thing_ around her ankle burns away. And the water around them bubbles and blisters her skin as her sister’s fury seeps into it. The last thing she feels before the darkness swallows her whole is her body being thrust out of the water and unceremoniously dumped unto the soft grass by the river’s shore.

When she wakes up, her family is already gone.

Instead, a gaggle of nymphs flutter around her bed all day. They croon to her that her family are in Olympus, demanding punishment and retribution for her injuries. Not that anyone knew what exactly happened, but her father seems to think it was one of her suitors trying to steal her away.

Summer cradles her face between her hands. _this won’t end well._ Her family was going to start a senseless feud with four other gods, one of which was Adam the god of war. _I need to talk to them._ Her best option was probably sending a message with the clever Mercury, but she can’t risk having her nymphs see him, he was one of said suitors after all.

She pretends to sleep until only one nymph is left with her in the room, and with a little patience Summer makes sure that the spirit is fast asleep before she sneaks out of the window, mindful of her swollen ankle and sensitive skin. Slowly but surely she inches her way to a grove far away from the house, hoping against hope that her discretion was enough to avoid any more problems.

Little did she know, that brief breath of hope signaled the moment when her life changed forever.

The moment when the earth cracks in two, ripping apart like a piece of cloth as a towering gold chariot bursts from its belly and charges at her. The moment when Summer flees as fast as she can, away from the four inky beasts dragging the chariot along and rounding in on her, nostrils flaring with smoke and white eyes frenzied. Her ankle screams in agony and the blisters on her skin break open, but Summer stomps the pain down and pushes forward to her house, determined to use whatever energy her panic is giving her to her advantage.

She might as well be fleeing from a hurricane, because the chariot reaches her in an ridiculously short amount of time. And everything clicks into place when her eyes meet the riders’ own, their color peeking through his helmet.

Ice blue, like the eyes of the great three children of Cronus.

The attack that hindered her movement. Her family leaving her alone for the first time since she was born. Their anger at her suitors and her sneaking away to warn them. It was all part of a plan.

A too strong arm ropes around her, and Summer twists and shrieks as loud as she can all the while she’s being weightlessly plucked and hoisted into the chariot that instantly dives back into the ground the moment her feet touches the floorboard. Without warning, the world becomes hot and cold and white and red at the same time and for a moment her mind goes blank with genuine, senseless terror as Summer realizes that they’re plummeting straight into the underworld.

She is stuck between trying to claw the arm gripping her down into shreds, and brutally latching on to it for dear life. And it’s a testament to her ferocity (or sheer panic) that the great lord Hades immediately releases her as soon as they land in his throne room. Summer flings herself out of the chariot and shoves the wave of nausea down as the world around her settles back onto its axis. The pain and fatigue catch up to her as her vision clears, and she watches the lord of the dead prowl to his seat as he smoothly takes off his helmet.

He certainly makes an imposing figure, sitting on his massive throne, a shining thing that towered over the entire room. Etched into the dais were images of the crowned Hades battling the mighty Titans with his siblings, a suitable reminder of the power of the god before whom little Summer now stood. The lord of the dead silently watches her, legs crossed with his elbows resting on diamond arms and his chin balanced on steepled fingers. Somehow kidnapping an innocent maiden didn’t seem to trouble him one bit, if anything his expression was that of mild interest although his eyes told a different story.

Is she to be judged? Did someone kill her? _Don’t be silly, gods don’t die like mortals do._

Summer forces her aching muscles forward and kneels in front of the great Hades in the ancient ritual of supplication, he uncrosses his legs as she wraps her arms around the back of his knees and forces herself to meet his cold eyes ‘My lord Hades’ her throat stings from screaming ‘have I done something that requires retribution?’ His eyes soften at her abysmal state and he snaps his fingers at one of the nymphs nearby, the spirit scatters away as he brings his hand to her face and wipes the tears on her cheeks.

 _My family has already done something they shouldn't have._ Despite the morbid thought, hope still blooms in her chest. While Hades is not particularly known for his empathy, he _is_ a lawful god, not prone to bursts of indiscretion like either of his sisters. He would not punish her for something her family had done. With a little eloquence, she might just be able to convince him to see things from her perspective, and let her reach her family again.

But hope means nothing in a kingdom for the dead. The nymph comes back with a goblet of ambrosia as Hades gives her a smile, soft and smooth, like the edge of a knife ‘This is not a punishment, Ruby’ he lifts her chin and brings the goblet her lips himself ‘And please, call me Whitley.’

She nearly spits out the ambrosia onto his lap, which is a pretty tame reaction to being asked by king Hades to be on personal-name basis with him in her opinion. Summer’s eyebrows crawl into her hairline and the god before her lets out a small chuckle ‘Isn’t your name…? I mean...can I speak it?’

He stares away pensively ‘I can’t quite remember if it’s really cursed and unspoken, or if Winter just made that up’ lord Hades flashes her a smile that sends a shiver down her body as he gently caresses her frozen face ‘But I suppose it wouldn’t matter to you either way’ he pecks her cheek ‘these rules don’t apply to my bride after all’. The other cheek ‘My queen’ . Her forehead ‘Ruby’.

Her lips ‘Persephone.’


	2. Wedded

‘What would you like to wear, my lady?’

The redheaded nymph, Penny, sets out an array of glittering tiaras and sparkling gowns in front of her, as if she isn’t being hauled off to marry against her will.

‘Oh I get to choose _something_?’ Summer drawls.

Her sour mood is either ignored or unnoticed, because the spirit yammers on as she opens a wardrobe, revealing a selection of flowy fabrics ‘There are also plenty of veils to choose from! Aren’t they just lovely?’

Summer wants to lash out at her, she wants to scream and kick the nymph out of her so called chamber, she wants to rip these stupid dresses to shreds and scour the underworld for a way out. Maybe she could if she really tried, the ambrosia has healed most of her injuries and she can actually put weight on her feet without feeling like they’re about to snap in two.

But then she would have to face Hades himself. And even if she managed to get away from him, or if she was quick enough to escape unnoticed, he’d probably punish the poor nymphs who were supposed to keep an eyes on her. If she’s being honest he’d probably punish them even if she failed to escape.

Could she really live with that?

‘Where’s my uncle?’ Summer crosses her eyes over her chest, lifting her chin and trying to look as divine as possible ‘does he know I’m being dragged to an altar?’

‘Lord Nyx went on a task just before you arrived’ Penny starts sorting different veils by length ‘It might be a millennia before he returns.’

 _Of course_ Hades sent him away.

A warm sheen of moisture clouds her eyes, unbidden. For more than hundreds of years she was coddled and ruled by her family, treated like she was a fragile flower they had to oversee at every waking moment. And yet she has never felt this powerless and helpless. Her silent tears soon turn into big hiccuping sobs. _I never asked for this! I was happy with my lot in life, I followed the rules and never questioned what I was told…_ She’s vaguely aware of the arm around her trembling shoulders, but Summer can only bring herself to stop when Penny gently presses a handkerchief into her palm.

‘It’s not all bad’ the nymph’s voice is vivid and comforting  ‘lord Hades would never mistreat you.’

‘How _benevolent_ of him...’ Summer spits out the words like venom as her blood boils with rage ‘he only staged an attack on me, kidnapped me from my home and is forcing me to marry him’ she jerks herself away from Penny ‘I don’t know what qualifies as good treatment in _your_ book,  but _my_ standards are a bit higher than this !’

The divine spirit’s lower lip trembles at her tone, and Summer instantly feels ashamed of herself. Penny was just trying to help her in her time of need, and instead of being grateful or taking solace. Summer treated her like she was cheering her misery on ‘I’m sorry. I know you have nothing to do with this, you were just trying to be a good friend.’

The nymph’s grass green eyes instantly light up ‘It’s fine’ she says shyly ‘friends fight all the time, right, my lady?’

‘Right!’ Summer agrees easily enough, and feels a twinkle of excitement despite the situation because this is the first friend that she ever made on her own ‘and please, call me Summer’

Penny’s eyebrows scrunch in confusion ‘Why would I call you that?’

‘Well, you know...My names…’ She scratches the back of her head lamely ‘they’re Summer and Kore.’ she feels like she's missing something. _Am I crossing some line of propriety?_

‘But…’ Penny almost stops until she sees the encouragement on Summer’s face ‘the Fates said that my lady’s names are Ruby and Persephone…’

 _That_ explains why Hades had called her that ‘Well that was probably a mix up or something’ she insists ‘I’m Summer, not Ruby.’

Only The Fates have the right to name a god, for the names they gave were something that carried each god’s very identity and core, so they generally meant much more to them than it did for a mortal. That was the one of the reasons why mortals never learned their personal names, and why the gods rarely ever used them with each other unless their connection was intimate enough.

She ignores the ominous feeling leaking down her spine along with the nymph’s dubious look.

* * *

Summer ends up choosing a white dress with gold stitches, the colors her father and Yang love the most in her flowers.

‘Interesting choice for a crown’ her new husband, sitting next to her in their wedding feast, sips on his wine ‘I thought for sure that you would have gone with a less colorful option.’

She almost chose another tiara, one that was silver and encrusted with so many diamonds that her eyes went blurry for a second. But then the bright rubies in the one she’s wearing now came into the periphery of her vision and she simply couldn’t resist putting it on. Summer feels almost like a criminal, choosing to wear red like that felt too damn close to breaking one of her four rules. If her dad knew he would probably weep with disappointment.

 _But dad isn’t here._ The thought was half terrifying, half exhilarating.

‘I like it!’ the lord of the dead flashes her another smile ‘it suits you very much’ his eyes linger on her ‘and it goes with your hair.’

 _Red, like it’s dripping fresh blood._ He had whispered to her when removed the veil from her head during the ceremony, his breath warm in her ear. The memory makes her shift with sudden discomfort.

‘I wanted to offer my apologies’ Summer’s head perks up at that ‘the attack on you...it wasn’t my intention for you to get injured, the creature I’ve sent was only supposed to cause a scare, never to actually cause you harm’ his eyes remain serene, but Summer doesn’t miss the clench of his jaw ‘the creature was overzealous in his task. But worry not! He’s been justly dealt with.’

‘Thank you my lord’ Summer bows her head only to feel his fingertips lifting her chin back up, reminding her that she’s his equal now ‘If it’s not too much trouble, I have something to ask you’ she bats her eyelashes at him, hoping that she learned literally anything from Yang who could drive hunters to their death with a flick of her hair.

‘What is your wish?’ he shoots her an amused smile, and it’s enough to spur her on.

‘My family...’ his smile falters as he opens his mouth to talk but Summer beats him to it ‘I only wanna talk to them, I…’

‘Later’ he reaches for her hand and presses a soft kiss to it ‘we’ll talk about them later, for now please just enjoy the feast.’

Well it may not the response she was gunning for but it’s not exactly a rejection either. Summer’s thoughts are interrupted when a silver plate is pushed her way, and an incredibly delicious scent hits her nose ‘Don’t worry, all of this food is from the surface’ lord Hades pours her some wine ‘you must be starving.’

He’s certainly not wrong, she hasn't eaten since yesterday. And even when she doesn’t recognize half the food on her plate, the smell of it is enough to make her mouth flood ‘Why does it matter if it’s from the surface?’

Lord Hades’ eyebrows shoot upwards ‘You mean you don’t know?' he clears his throat at her awkward silence 'Well...If you eat any food from the underworld, your soul becomes bound to it.’

Her stomach churns with unease and suddenly Summer isn’t so hungry anymore. _He could’ve tricked me into never leaving this place._ The shocked expression on his face, like it was the sort of information a toddler would know, makes humiliation tingle under her skin. She feels angry at her family and wonders what other things had they conveniently hid from her to keep her nice and innocent and naive.

Feeling defiant and bold, she reaches for the wine and downs her cup in one big gulp. Summer scoots closer to her new husband as she demands more wine and stuffs her face with some soft looking bread.

The celebration feast lasts for an entire week.

* * *

 

 _Time can sure go by fast._ Summer thinks to herself as she is lead by the hand through vaulted arches and down the cold hallways of the underworld. There are no windows or torches, the light came from the walls themselves. She doesn’t want to think about what happens next, so instead of fixating on the feeling of her clammy hand in his much steadier one, Summer focuses on the muted whites and blues of the seemingly endless maze of corridors.

_I can do this._

They end up in the biggest room she’s ever seen, understated and sleek, with a high ceiling and heavy drapes on the walls. But no less cold than the outside hallways, or less bare for that matter.

Her eyes catch the massive soft-looking bed, laden with sumptuous embroidered blankets and fluffy pillows made from silk and velvet with gilded fringe.

 _Lord Ha... No, his name is Whitley._  She takes a deep breath. He’s _not a stranger anymore._ But try as she might to tell herself that, Summer still barely knows the god standing next to her, stealing glances and trying to discreetly study her.

‘I hope your new chambers are to your liking’ _Whitley_ finally releases her hand ‘you can change whatever you want in it if it’s not up to your standards.’

Her conversation with Penny flashes in her mind and she almost winces from embarrassment. But to her relief there isn’t any malice in Whitley’s tone, only casual easiness.

Her thoughts are interrupted as he steps in achingly close to her and lifts her face to meet his. He is only half a head taller than her, but Summer still feels small as she takes in his awesome presence, no wonder the mortals fear him so if a lesser deity like her is affected by it. She can admit to herself that he’s handsome, beautiful even. Her gaze travels from his silver hair, shining in the soft light like moonglow, to his icy eyes and she sees a spectrum of emotions flickering in them for the first time despite how he rules the rest of his features. She can’t discern any of them except for one painfully obvious one.

Desire.

‘You are a very lovely creature, Ruby’ Whitley mumbles as his hands lightly rest on her hips, her heart starts hammering as she realizes that _this_ is actually happening. And before she knows it, his mouth is already on hers, and he’s kissing her with so much more intensity than he did before. It makes warmth spread through her body and pool in her stomach, and Summer’s mind fills with confusion because it feels good even though she wants to flee. Her stomach twists and her limbs feel heavy as she trembles, feeling weak and afraid and only wanting to _just go home._

Hades breaks the kiss and withdraws, taking her in.

‘You’re terrified!’ his eyes widen as he backs away, and each one his steps floods her body with mixture of alarm and relief.

‘Forgive me, my lord’ Summer gulps away the shakiness in her voice as she tries to salvage the situation, keenly aware of what she has to give him if she wants him to let her see her family again ‘I’m just a bit overwhelmed by all of this, I…’ she blinks away the mistiness in her eyes ‘You…’

‘I know the way I brought you here isn’t very reassuring’ Whitley’s tone is gentle, kind even ‘but I won’t hurt you’ he offers her his hand ‘please, let me show you that it would not be such a burden to be my wife.’

_He’s just as worried as I am._

The thought _almost_ calms her down, until he takes a step forward and her feet instinctively bristle away from him. He stops again, his too clever eyes studying her like a puzzle ‘What are you so scared of? It's not like anyone from Olympus is exactly a ...’

Summer turns away as soon as she sees him light up with comprehension and absolute shock ‘you’re a virgin!?’

Her cheeks color half in embarrassment, half in irritation at the incredulousness in his voice, as if there’s anything wrong with not knowing someone _that_ way. The claws of mortification rake up and down her back as Whitley turns her around to face him ‘Ruby...please look at me.’

Struggling against the impossible tightness in her neck, Summer slowly lifts her eyes to meet his. He looks calm if a bit _concerned._ A long way from the condescension, mockery or pity that she fully expects to be met with. _‘_ Nothing is going to happen until you are ready and wanting.’ he tells her with so much determination that she wills herself to believe him.

‘What if I’m never ready? Or if I never want you? She whispers, mentally berating at herself for looking a gift horse in the mouth.

‘Never?’ Whitley gives her a self-deprecating smile ‘Why, I suppose I’ll just have to live as I’ve lived before.’

Relief ripples through her in a wave so powerful that her knees almost give out ‘Does this mean that I’ll get to go home?’

That had obviously been the wrong question to ask, because Whitley immediately stiffens and walks away from her. He leans his back against the wall to the side and fixes his eyes on the lavish carpets ‘This _is_ your home now.’

‘Okay...’ She swallows her disappointment. _I’ve already won a battle, I don’t have to win the war in a single night._ ‘Well what about my family? When can I meet..’

‘You can’t’ lord Hades bluntly interrupts, his eyes refusing to meet hers.

‘What do you mean?’ A lump forms in her throat as dread, cold and sharp and terrible, plunges through her chest ‘But you said that…’

‘All I said was that we would talk about it later’ the coward makes his way to the door ‘you are part of the underworld now. So consider yourself dead to them, or them dead to you, either way it makes no difference.’

It feels like he had reached inside her chest and squeezed the blood out of her heart.

Summer had been ripped apart from her home, sealed away from the surface where she could grow her flowers, bound to a place that no god or mortal in their right mind would ever approach. Be made to marry the very person responsible for her suffering. But through it all she still had hope, that her family would find her, that she could draw strength from them, that she could at least take heart from letting them know that she’s unharmed.

There’s something about having nothing to lose that can make someone do all sorts of reckless things.

All Summer can see is red as she charges at him, consequences be damned. _Let him end me or chain me to Tartarus._ Even if it’s all she gets, she will _not_ bow down gently.

But Hades doesn’t even give her that. The door closes softly behind him before she could reach it, and Summer can hear the lock turn from outside right before she could turn the handle ‘You Monster!’ she bangs on the door, screaming every single profanity that she knows.

She screeches until her throat burns and her vision swims, whether from the lack of air or from the tears in her eyes, she cannot tell. Her small fists shake and the skin on her knuckles open but she still slams the damned door with all her might, her mind a whirlpool of horror and a rage so mighty that her body trembles with it.

_Consider yourself dead to them, or them dead to you._

Summer can’t stop the sobs then, her last shred of hope blown away like leaves in a whirlwind. She thinks of Yang and her easy smile, and how she’ll never get to hear her voice again, telling her that she’s back home and making a stupid joke. How’s she’ll never be able to be annoyed about being dragged everywhere with her anymore. She thinks of her dad, who tried to protect her too much, and the whimpers wreck her body when she thinks about how he would never hug her again, letting her head lean against his sturdy chest with his scent wafting into her nose, or listen to her no matter how stupid the things she came to him with were.

Not even death would reunite them. She will never see them _ever_ again. No matter how much she loves them. No matter how much she misses them. She will live, and they will not be with her.

She cries her heart out for the first time in her life. Regretfully. Pitifully. Painfully. Summer punches the door again, and shouts with all her might.

 _All is lost._ She lets the tears flow.

 _All is lost._ She lets herself glide to the ground, her knees hitting the floor.

 _All is lost._ She leans her head against the door.

 _All is lost._ Her bloody hands fall to her side.

_All is lost._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Nyx: Primordial goddess of the night- Qrow

**Author's Note:**

> List of mentioned deities and their equivalents in the RWBY universe (I realize there's a better fit for these but I felt like these fit best with this particular story):
> 
> The four suitors of Persephone:  
> ->Apollo: God of the Sun, the Light, the Music and Prophecy - Jaune  
> ->Hermes: God of trade, thieves, travelers, sports, athletes, and border crossings, guide to the Underworld and messenger of the gods - Mercury  
> ->Ares: God of physical, violent and untamed war- Adam  
> ->Hephaestus: God of fire, metalworking, stone masonry, forges and sculpting, he made the weapons of the gods - (Not yet decided)
> 
> Persephone's family:  
> ->Demeter:Goddess of Agriculture, Fertility, Sacred Law and the Harvest -Taiyang  
> ->Artemis: Goddess of the hunt, Forests and Hills, the Moon and Archery -Yang  
> ->????? - Summer  
> ->????? - Qrow
> 
> Olympus:  
> ->Zeus: God of the Sky and King of the Gods- Winter  
> ->Poseidon: God of the Sea - Weiss  
> ->Rhea: Titan and goddess of nature - Willow  
> -> Athena: Goddess of wisdom, poetry, art, and war strategy - Pyrrha  
> -> Aphrodite: Goddess of love and beauty - Blake  
> -> Helios: God of the Sun - Sun
> 
> The Underworld:  
> -> Cronus: The King of the Titans and the god of time, patron of the harvest - Jacques  
> -> Nyx: Primordial goddess of the night- ?  
> -> Hecate: The goddess of magic, crossroads, moon, ghosts, witchcraft and necromancy-???  
> -> Nemesis: The goddess of retribution and personification of vengeance.-???  
> -> Hypnos:The god of sleep -???  
> -> Penny the Nymph.  
> -> ???  
> ->???? - ????
> 
> Also sorry about any language mistakes, English isn't really my native language but please feel free point me in the right direction and I'll get right on it!


End file.
